Regenerative activated carbon filtration for aircraft OBIGGS

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10106272-B2
Application number	US-201615195034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2015
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

An onboard aircraft inerting system includes an apparatus and method for regenerating an activated carbon media of a filter module while the aircraft is in flight. In regeneration mode, the activated carbon media is heated to a temperature sufficient to desorb the VOC contaminants adsorbed thereon and the air stream passing through the filter module is at a pressure lower than the air pressure of the air stream passing through the filter in normal inerting mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of regenerating a filter in an onboard aircraft inerting system comprising:
providing a stream of pressurized air, the pressurized air containing VOC contaminants;
passing the stream of air through a filter module containing activated carbon media to adsorb the VOC contaminants;
directing the flow of air exiting the filter module in a regeneration mode of operation to a passage connected to an overboard outlet for release to a lower pressure ambient environment;
regenerating the activated carbon media by desorbing the VOC contaminants adsorbed on the carbon media while the aircraft is in flight; wherein desorbing the VOC contaminants comprises raising the temperature of the carbon media to a temperature sufficient to release the VOC contaminants adsorbed thereon; and
directing the flow of air exiting the filter module to an air separation module following completion of regeneration of the carbon media of the filter module.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein raising the temperature of the carbon media comprises heating the carbon media using a heating device located in the filter module.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stream of pressurized air containing VOC contaminants is at a temperature of at least 50° C.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising lowering the pressure of the air stream entering the filter module.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing the temperature of the pressurized air stream in a thermal control unit upstream of the filter module prior to passing the air stream through the filter module.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein raising the temperature of the carbon media comprises raising the temperature of the air entering the filter module.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising passing the stream of pressurized air through an ozone converter upstream of the filter module.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising controlling the temperature of the air stream entering the filter module using a thermal control system upstream of the filter module.

Assignees

• Parker Hannifin Corp

Inventors

• Jensen Bryan D
• Ault Brian A

Classifications

• B64D37/32 Primary

  Safety measures not otherwise provided for, e.g. preventing explosive conditions · CPC title

• B01D2259/40096

  by using electrical resistance heating · CPC title

• B01D2259/4575

  in aeroplanes or space ships · CPC title

• B01D2253/102

  Carbon · CPC title

• B01D2257/708

  Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s · CPC title